Everyone Used To Eat This Scandalous Dessert — Now Younger Generations Would Be Confused By It

Almost any time a political scandal hits the news these days, it gets the suffix "gate" attached to it. That's in honor of the infamous Watergate scandal from the 1970s, which may be the source of the name of Watergate salad. While it had its heyday in the 1970s and early 80s, it's almost unheard of today. Younger generations would most likely look upon this creamy, pudding-infused creation with suspicion since it bears the name "salad," but trust us, it used to be big.

Tasting Table has a recipe for a classic Watergate salad, and it's pretty simple. It's made from instant pistachio pudding mix, canned pineapple, Cool Whip, marshmallows, and pecans. This kind of dessert salad was popular at potlucks and family gatherings a few decades ago, but has fallen out of favor in recent years. Experts have speculated about reasons why dessert salads like Watergate or Ambrosia salad made from Jell-O and pudding like this fell by the wayside. There's some psychology behind how the look and mouthfeel of gelatinous or slimy foods is normally associated with spoilage. Younger generations simply grew up after dishes like this had already fallen out of fashion.

In 2002, 65% of Americans surveyed said they didn't know enough about Watergate to explain it to a friend, according to ABC. There's evidence that many people in the modern age, especially those who aren't American, have no idea what Watergate is, so this salad would make no sense to them.

No one really knows who named Watergate salad, when, or why. The Watergate scandal broke in 1972 and dominated headlines until Nixon resigned in 1974. By 1973, the Watergate salad was already reported on when the Miami News said the recipe was "catching on." This reference, however, reads as a joke. The author took a political dig at Nixon by saying the salad was something you put a lid on and stick in the freezer to forget about. It also seems to be the earliest reference to Watergate salad.

That same year, The Post reported that servers at the Emeryville Holiday Inn were getting tired of hearing jokes about bugs in the house special Watergate salad, with bugs referring to listening devices, not insects. But that salad was said to have nothing to do with the political scandal, and may very well have been an entirely different dish. It's hard to say since there was no recipe included.

The dish did not come from the Watergate Hotel, but there was a Watergate Cake that some think came before the salad. However, the earliest printed recipes for a cake with that name appeared in 1974. Someone jokingly suggested in 1974 that the name was because the cake is full of nuts. Other stories suggest Watergate Cake was President Nixon's favorite cake, or that he just liked pistachios. In one origin story, a food editor from a Chicago paper was responsible for the name, crafting it in a bid to promote the recipe. There is no hard evidence for any of this.

It's been claimed that pistachio instant pudding wasn't invented until 1975. However, there's evidence of it as far back as 1966, so this salad could be older than people know. Kraft, which introduced pistachio pudding in 1976, had a recipe for the dessert on pudding boxes in the 1980s, but it called the dish Pistachio Pineapple Delight. The company didn't take to calling it Watergate salad until 1993.

There are surviving copies of recipes for pistachio salad dating back to 1973, which are exactly the same as Watergate salad minus the name. So at some point around 1975, someone took an already established recipe and called it Watergate salad, and that's where the mystery lies.

Since versions of the dish appear to have existed before the Watergate scandal, there's no reason to get too caught up in the political connection today. Call it pistachio salad, green fluff, or even a funeral salad if you like. It was a popular item for gatherings of all kinds because it was fast and could be made in five minutes. There are no fresh ingredients and very little prep work to be done unless you want to chop the nuts. Sweet, creamy pistachio pudding paired with tangy pineapple and crunchy nuts gives the salad a unique combination of flavor and texture. It's also very different from what most people bring to potlucks today. That said, it's worth noting Kraft says over 50,000 people search for the recipe around Thanksgiving. Rather than get lost in the history, feel free to just make your own Watergate salad and see what you think.